Checking on an old badger sett, I came across a bird feeder which, judging by the number of birds using it continuously, was well-maintained. Watching from a distance, I could see, among the crowd of bluetits and great tits, a pair of bullfinches. The next time a day of sunshine interrupted the winter gloom, I staked out the feeder in my hide, and bagged a nice collection of natural pictures as birds waited their turn in the bushes beside the feeder.
Category Archives: Recent Work
Look what I’ve got!
I’ve been scanning some ancient negatives today. This one always raises a laugh at my talks on badgers – taken in 1973, judging by photos of my daughters on the same film strip. I remember showing a print of this photo to my mother, who said “Aww – isn’t she sweet?”
An Autumn Night
Setting out for a walk in the woods at night, shining a torch on the fallen leaves on the pavement.
Actually, camera on tripod, background exposure two stops under-exposed, flash on camera fitted with a gridded snoot, aimed at the drift of fallen leaves. Background lit and colour determined by the streetlamps, but the fallen leaves show their actual colour because they are lit by the flash.
Whooper swans at Martin Mere
The whooper swans had just arrived after their migration flight from Iceland, and this group looked exhausted. Others still seemed full of energy, taking off and flying a wide circuit before returning to the mere.
Badger hole in Newbridge Wood
I’m lighting up badger setts with a two flash setup – the key light on a lighting stand or bolted to a tree to splash light from the side, and a flash on the camera to put detail in the shadows. However, to get a nighttime look, perhaps it’s better to just use the one key light as above, leaving the shadows black and featureless.
I could do with more cooperation from the badgers.